We need to talk about Stuart McCutcheon

We need to talk about Stuart
McCutcheonSilencing
staff, cutting the Faculty of Education and Social Work in
the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage, and refusing to
listen to serious concerns about the direction he is taking
the University of Auckland. It is time we talked about
Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon and his
leadership, the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) said
today.

Concern about the direction of the
institution intensified this week when the Vice-Chancellor
announced he would cut 22.4 full-time equivalent jobs from
the Faculty of Education and Social Work, and 5.5 FTE from
Cultures Languages and Linguistics. Consultation on the
proposals discouraged respondents from discussing anything
other than why their area of work or job should not be cut.
McCutcheon did not want staff to question the premises on
which his cuts were proposed - even though staff had been
told everything was open for feedback. Equally concerning is
his decision not to consider the impact his proposals could
have on government policy, even though New Zealand faces a
teacher shortage the likes of which we have not seen
before.

Worryingly, McCutcheon has also silenced debate
through the inclusion of a confidentiality clause in
staffing reviews. Under the clause, staff are not permitted
to share or talk about what he is proposing unless they are
directly affected. The TEU has written to McCutcheon
stating that his actions are contrary to good employment
practice and sound decision-making. The TEU has also seen
communications to students advising them that a complaint
has been made about their participation in a legitimate
protest about the recent Libraries and Learning Services
review. The email says University management is no longer
prepared to meet with students about the review.

Sandra
Grey, national president of the TEU, said: “It’s
time we had a serious conversation about what is happening
at the University of Auckland and the direction the
institution is being taken in by Stuart McCutcheon. It can
appear at times that the Vice-Chancellor his imposing his
will on the institution, and forcing staff into line, rather
than welcoming an open and honest debate about the future of
the University. That he doesn’t even want to discuss the
broader implications of his decisions on Government policy
is worrying.

"Our commitment as a union
is to the staff of the University of Auckland. We will
continue fighting on their behalf to make sure they have a
strong voice in every decision Stuart McCutcheon is making,
particularly ones like cutting teacher training staff, which
risk holding us back as a
country.”--ENDS--

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